Chapter 23 Esag
ESAG
Esag tried to focus on Drova's instructions about which barracks building had been prepared for the refugees, but his attention kept drifting to the small group in front of them.
More specifically, to Tula.
She was walking beside her human partner, their hands linked in a way that made Esag's jaw ache from how tight his facial muscles were. It wasn't just irrational jealousy over a female he had no business feeling possessive of. It was also anger at himself for having those feelings.
He'd known about Tony. He'd known that Tula was carrying Tony's child. And he'd also known that she didn't like him and blamed him for treating Gulan badly, breaking her heart and insulting her to boot.
But Tula had reached out to him, and they had shared dreams and visions, and he hadn't imagined the connection.
"Are you even listening?" Drova said beside him.
"I heard you. Third building on the left."
"Mm-hmm." She shot him a sideways glance with those unsettling eyes of hers. "Stop staring at her butt. Her boyfriend might have an issue with that. Humans don't like it when other men look at their partners with covetous eyes."
"I'm not coveting."
"Maybe not, but you are staring, and he might interpret it as coveting."
"I don't care what he thinks," Esag bit out.
Drova apparently delighted in needling people, and he wasn't going to play into her hands.
He forced his attention back to the path ahead, deliberately not looking at Tula and Tony.
It lasted no more than thirty seconds.
His gaze drifted back just in time to see Tula yank her hand from Tony's grasp. The movement was sharp, angry, completely at odds with the gentle way she'd been holding his hand moments before.
Tony reached for her again, his mouth moving, saying something that Esag couldn't hear over the noise of the generator. Tula's expression softened, but she looked more resigned than happy about having him hold her hand again.
What had he said to earn her ire?
It didn't take much with Tula. He could have said that the temperature was pleasant, and she would have gotten angry because she thought it was hot and humid and that he was being stupid for thinking it was nice.
Esag wished the human was stupid, but Tony was anything but. He was a bioinformatician, and that sounded like something smart.
"She has a temper." Drova chuckled. "I like her."
"You've known her for an hour."
"Long enough to recognize someone who doesn't tolerate bullshit." Drova's grin revealed her small fangs. "Also long enough to notice how you look at her. You've got it bad."
It was disconcerting to hear the alien-looking girl using American teenagers' slang and noticing things she had no business noticing.
He'd been given the impression that the Kra-ell didn't believe in love and practiced some strange and violent mating rituals that were meant mainly for procreation, but also for establishing the pecking order in a tribe.
It was a little barbaric, or maybe a lot, but it was a simple system.
What could Drova possibly know about the complicated tangle of human romantic emotions, which immortals and gods were also afflicted with?
"Tula is the sister of a very good friend. I promised Wonder that I would look after her little sister. I'm just fulfilling a promise."
To his great surprise, she nodded solemnly. "Vows should be taken seriously. The Mother of All Life punishes oath breakers."
Drova had just given him a great opportunity to change the subject. He didn't know much about the Kra-ell deity, and he could keep asking questions until they dropped the group off at the barracks, preventing her from making any more comments about his attraction to Tula.
He was about to do that when someone tapped him on his back. He turned to see one of the ladies, Sarah was her name, he believed.
"Liliat and I were wondering about your part in the rescue. You are not a Guardian, correct?"
"That's correct," he said. "I'm a civilian."
Liliat tilted her head. "So, why were you part of the mission?"
The answer he'd given Drova would work well enough. "Tula is the sister of my friend, Wonder, and I promised her that I would look after her little sister."
"Isn't Anandur Wonder's mate?" her friend asked.
Damn. When had they had time to interrogate Anandur?
"He is, but he's in charge of all of you. I'm supposed to look specifically after Tula and make sure she has everything she needs."
That sounded good, and it would hopefully also explain the staring and all his other odd behaviors around her.
"Do you have a mate?" Sarah asked.
"I do not."
The smile that bloomed on her face was predatory. "Well, then. Tell us what you do in the village."
"I'm a carver and sculptor. I make figurines."
"Oh, that sounds fascinating." Sarah moved closer, her hand briefly touching his arm. "An artist. I would love to see your work and later discuss it over dinner."
The invitation was clear, but he wasn't sure whether she was inviting him to dinner in whatever house she would end up living in or inviting herself to his.
In either case, Esag was not interested.
Despite their somewhat disheveled appearance, Sarah and Liliat were stunning females, even by immortal standards. They would have no shortage of male attention when they got to the village, but neither of them could hold a candle to Tula.
They didn't have her fire, her strength, or the soft vulnerability he'd glimpsed in his visions that she hid from everyone else.
"I'll be more than happy to show you my collection and even carve your figurine."
"What about me?" Liliat asked. "Will you carve one of me as well?"
"Of course. I will carve figurines of all of you." He forced a smile. "The shelves in my workshop contain an entire society that's lost to us. I need to move on to carving those who live."
The ladies lost their smiles for a moment, but then Liliat found it again. "We will hold you to that."
Great. He would have to ask Roven and Davuh to be there when Sarah and Liliat visited so he could deflect the ladies' interest to his friends.
Esag let out a breath. He should be flattered and welcome the advances. Instead, he was obsessing about a pregnant female who hated him. But she didn't just hate him.
He knew that she felt the connection too, the strange resonance that had somehow linked them through dreams and visions.
They reached the barracks—a long, low building with fresh paint and new windows that still had construction stickers on the glass. It wasn't much to look at, but it was clean and functional.
Esag held the door open as the group filed in. Tula entered, barely sparing him a glance, and Tony followed her, his hand hovering near the small of her back without touching.
The interior was a large open room with rows of beds, each with a small nightstand and locker. Basic military-style accommodations.
"You've got to be kidding me," Tony grumbled. "All of us are supposed to sleep in this place together?"
Tula turned to look at him with a raised brow. "What were you expecting? This isn't a hotel. Be grateful we have beds to rest on at all."
"I just thought we'd get private rooms."
"You thought wrong." She turned away from him, surveying the long hall with a critical eye. "It's fine. As long as there is privacy in the bathroom, I'm good. "
"There's no privacy anywhere." Tony pouted. "These are army barracks, and everything is communal. We’ll be lucky if there are private toilet stalls, and I guarantee you that there is no separate bathroom for the ladies. It's one bathroom per building." He turned to Drova. "Am I right?"
She nodded. "Spot on. But the showers have privacy curtains, and the toilets are in enclosed stalls."
Tony turned back to Tula. "You see? I was right. I'm always right."
Even Esag knew that was the wrong thing to say to a female who was already agitated.
"That's good enough. We don't need more privacy than that." Tula's voice was dangerously soft. "Not anymore."
The room went silent. Every other conversation stopped, and the ladies suddenly started showing a lot of interest in the provided bedding.
Tony's face went through several expressions—hurt, confusion, and anger. "I don't understand. Did I do something wrong? Is this about Kaia?"
"This isn't about Kaia." Tula sighed. "I'm sorry. This is not a conversation I want to have with an audience. We will talk later."
Tony swallowed. "What did I do wrong?"
"Nothing." She put a hand on his arm. "Nothing at all. Give it a rest, Tony. We will talk about this later."
Esag felt something twist in his chest. It wasn't satisfaction at seeing Tony dismissed, but discomfort at witnessing the guy's pain and confusion. Tony stood there looking shattered, and despite his jealousy, despite wanting Tula for himself, Esag couldn't help feeling sorry for the human.
He wanted to say something to break the tension, but before he could formulate words, Tula's gaze swung to him.
"You," she said, her voice sharp as a blade. "Why are you standing there staring at us? Is this entertaining for you?"
The accusation stung more than it should have. "I'm just waiting for you to be done with the drama so I can continue showing you the facilities."
"Drama? Is that what it is to you?"
Esag wanted to kick himself. Why had he allowed himself to get swept into Tula's circle of ire?
Tony looked like he wanted the floor to open and swallow him whole.
"I might have misspoken," Esag said to mollify her. "I'm sorry. Can we continue the tour now?"
Some of the fire went out of her expression, replaced by weariness. "You're always sorry. Sorry for this and sorry for that." She turned away. "I'm tired of sorry."
"Tula—" Tony started.
"Don't." She held up a hand without looking at him. "Just... don't. I need some space."
The silence that followed was suffocating.